12 Days of Christmas Garland

12 Days of Christmas Garland

by | Dec 22, 2025 | Craft Tutorials

Many years ago, though I remember it like it was yesterday, I was teaching an English class for middle school students in France. Around Christmas time, I thought it might be nice to teach the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The students really enjoyed learning the song, though I think they wondered about the very unique gifts in the song (I don’t think we talked much about the rich symbolism in the song).
Inspired by this memory, I decided to create two different 12 Days of Christmas garlands this year. One has “The 12 Days of Christmas” translated into French. The other lists the symbolism of each of the 12 gifts. The printable garlands are available in our Etsy shop.
“The 12 Days of Christmas” is, of course, a very English song (however, it may actually have French origins). But why learn the words to an English song in French? Studies show that knowledge of vocabulary in learning a second language is very beneficial for enhancing comprehension, fluency, and confidence. Plus, having knowledge of new words in a second language is fun. We hope learning vocabulary in French for words we are so familiar with in English will add a little extra joy in this joyful season! (You can learn the pronunciation of the French words with our short YouTube video. Please note that the translation is for the sake of learning vocabulary in French, but the translation does not fit into the melody of the song.)
The garland with the symbolism of the gifts is in English. I often forget the meaning of the symbolism of the gifts, and if you are like me, you might enjoy this festive little reminder too. While celebrating the 12 days, starting on December 25th, you might also enjoy the ideas suggested in this article about the “12 Days of Christmas” song from dynamiccatholic.com.  
The printable garlands are available in our Etsy shop. Simply print and cut out the cards, then hang them, using mini clothespins. If you like, you can face them all forward right away, or you can turn them over one-by-one on each of the 12 days of Christmas

Joyeux Noël! Merry Christmas!

Chocolat à l’ancienne (with dairy-free option)

Chocolat à l’ancienne (with dairy-free option)

by | Oct 2, 2025 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

French hot chocolate. Amazingly decadent, surprisingly simple. French has the perfect word to describe this delicious treat: onctueux – a word that means rich, smooth, and creamy all at the same time.

Chocolat à l’ancienne, which could translate to “old-fashioned chocolate,” is served in famous Parisian cafés. It is a special treat, but it can be made at home quite easily, with a few simple ingredients.

Are you ready to enjoy it? Let’s make chocolat à l’ancienne.

Ingredients:

Ingredients (for 2 small cups of hot chocolate):

12 ounces (1.5 cups) whole milk*

3 ounces dark chocolate (60% – 90%) – broken into pieces

½ tsp vanilla extract or one cinnamon stick

*For dairy-free version, use 1 cup coconut milk from a carton and 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, in place of whole milk.

 

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Chocolat à l’ancienne is rich and creamy. You can use 1.5 cups whole milk, or for an even creamier version, consider using 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream.

OR: For a dairy-free version, use 1 cup coconut milk from a carton, and 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

If you would like to make a dairy free version, use 1 cup coconut milk from a carton and 1/2 cup coconut milk from a can. Canned coconut milk has a higher fat content than coconut milk from a carton. This proportion of canned and carton coconut milk gives the right balance to be similar to whole milk.

3 oz. dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

Chocolat à l’ancienne is mean to be rich and not overly sweet. You can use dark chocolate from 60% to 90%. The lower the percent, the sweeter your drink will be. (You can always add extra sweetener to each cup to your taste.)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or a cinnamon stick

Add a flavor of your choice to your hot chocolat. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or a cinnamon stick. (Be sure to remove the cinnamon stick before serving.)

Instructions:

Pour milk into saucepan. Turn burner to medium heat. Add chocolate pieces and vanilla extract (or cinnamon stick). Wisk continually until a thick and creamy mixture forms. Pour into a small pitcher. Serve on a tray with two cups. Add sweetener as desired.

Watch our video to see how easy it is to make chocolat à l’ancienne. 

Enjoy!

Simple Salade Niçoise

Simple Salade Niçoise

by | Sep 20, 2025 | Lunch and Dinner Recipes

Bring a little southern French sunshine to your day with this simple salade Niçoise. Salade Niçoise is a traditional salad that one can find in restaurants all over France, but especially in the south. There are many variations of the salad. The recipe in this post is especially made so that children can easily make the salad. Our recipe is inspired by a wonderful recipe in The Best Ever French Cooking Course book.

The salad could be made on one large platter, but in this recipe, we suggest making individual plates of salad. This way each plate on the table can look pretty. This recipe serves 4 people, but it is easy to adapt the recipe for fewer or additional servings.

Let’s make Salade Niçoise…

Ingredients for the salad:

  • Bag of salad greens (pre-washed to save time)
  • 3-4 small tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 4 handfuls green beans (pre-washed and cut to save time)
  • several black olives
  • 4 hardboiled eggs 
  • 2 cans tuna

Ingredients for the dressing:

  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. crushed garlic (pre-crushed in a jar to save time)
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • dash of black pepper

 

 

Supplies:

  • cutting board
  • knife
  • peeler
  • spoon
  • tablespoon
  • 1/2 cup measuring cup
  • juicer
  • jar and cover
  • 4 dinner plates

 

To make the salad, lay 4 plates on the counter. Add ingredients to the plates in the way shown below to arrange a beautiful salad on each plate.

Step 1

Place a handful of pre-washed salad greens on each plate.

Step 2

Wash and slice tomatoes.

Step 3

Place a handful of sliced tomatoes over the salad greens on each plate.

Step 4

Peel and slice the cucumber.

Step 5

Place a handful of sliced cucumbers on each plate.

Step 6

Steam the green beans (ask a adult for help with steaming). Cool the green beans with cold water, then place them in a wreath shape on top of the salad.

Step 7

Add half of a can of tuna to the center of each plate.

Step 8

Slice the eggs.

Step 9

Arrange egg slices and olives around the edge of the salad on each plate.

Step 10

To prepare the dressing, first juice one lemon.

Step 11

Pour the lemon juice (about 4 Tablespoons) into a jar.

Step 12

Add a Tablespoon of crushed garlic and a Tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the jar.

Step 13

Add 1/2 cup olive oil and a dash of black pepper to the jar.

Step 14

Place the lid securely on the jar and shake to combine.

Step 15

Pour the dressing over each plate of salad. Serve and enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Bon Voyage: Passport to the Francophone World

Bon Voyage: Passport to the Francophone World

by | Jun 16, 2025 | Craft Tutorials

Ready to take an imaginary trip around the French-speaking world? Our printable francophone world passport adds joy to the journey!

We suggest some possible ways to use the passport (but your own inspiration is totally okay too!). See our video for a preview of how to use the passport. The printable passport is available on Etsy.

FRENCH CLASSROOMS: If you have a classroom of students, students could be divided into groups and each group assigned a French-speaking country to research. Each group could then present their research to the class. When the presentations happen, the presenters could have the audience pretend to go through customs and “stamp” the passports (with our printable stickers that come with the passport printable) as they begin their presentation. Then the audience could take notes on the presentations in the appropriate passport pages.

HOMESCHOOLERS: If you are a homeschooling family (or a family who just loves to learn together), we suggest (see below) a Charlotte Mason-style feast of books that you can enjoy for 5 different countries in the French-speaking world. Before you begin each country, give your children time to write what they know and what they wonder about the country. Then give your child a passport “stamp” (stickers that come with the passport printable). As you read the books, children can narrate (with drawings or writing) some of the things they remember from the books in the “What I learned” page for each country. You can read as many (or as few) books as you like, and go at your own pace. Enjoy the journey!

FOR EVERYONE: To make your journey even sweeter, consider making a food from each country too. We suggest one food idea for each country. Movies could also add a lot of fun to the imaginary trip. I hesitate to suggest movies, but I am including some. Please do your own research to see if the movies are appropriate for your children before you show them.

Below is our suggested list of books, movies, and foods (with links). Bon voyage!

La France

There are so many lovely books about France, we found it hard to narrow down our suggestions. If you have other favorites, please use those as well. The books we chose have a Paris focus, while the movie takes place in the south of France. (Please use the links to find out more about the books, food, and movies.)

Non-fiction overview book:

France (Enchantment of the World series by Scholastic)

Picture books:

Madeline

The Girl and the Cathedral: The Story of Notre-Dame de Paris

Kiki and Coco in Paris

The Red Balloon

Novels:

The Family Under the Bridge A heart-warming story about caring for others that also gives a window into the scenery of Paris.

Family Sabbatical   This book is laugh-out-loud hilarious! So much fun as a read aloud!

Food:

Crepes

Movie:

My Father’s Glory   One of my favorite movies, as I spent some of my college days in the south of France. The landscape is beautiful, and the story is endearing as well.

Le Canada (Québec)

 Our family has had the opportunity to travel to Quebec in the lovely summer months, but it’s probably no surprise that there are a number of picture books about Quebec in the winter months. (Please use the links to find out more about the books, food, and movies.)

Non-fiction overview book:

Canada (Enchantment of the World series from Scholastic)

Picture books:

F is for French: A Quebec Alphabet

The Sugaring-off Party

The Hockey Sweater

The Lion and the Bird  – This book is by a Quebecois author and tells the story of a lion who hosts an injured bird over the winter. Of course you would want to mention that lions don’t live in Quebec, but this books is so lovely, I had to include it in the list. (Our family has this book in French… it’s a great story for children learning French, as there are very few words.)

Novel:

Shadows on the Rock  – This book really brings to life Quebec in its early days. I’ve read it and listened to it more than once, and I would read it again!

Food:

Maple Syrup Taffy

Movies:

Blizzard  This movie uses Quebec City as the setting for the North Pole.

 

Le Sénégal (and other Francophone African countries)

Some of the books suggested here are for countries in French-speaking Africa, in addition to Senegal. (Please use the links to find out more about the books, food, and movies.) The novels we suggest here are quite intense, so please preview them to see if they appropriate for your family. 

Non-fiction overview book: 

Senegal (Enchantment of the World series by Scholastic)

Picture books: 

The Red Bicycle   My daughter was inspired to donate her bike to Bikes for the World after reading this sweet and inspiring story!

The Water Princess  We have free printable activities to accompany this story. Find them here.

Senegal: On the Way to School

Novels:

One Shadow on the Wall This novel has a sad beginning (parents dying) and tells the story of many difficulties faced by children in Senegal. The overarching message of the book is the love of family and community. However, parents should read this book before deciding if it might be appropriate for their older children (not appropriate for younger children). This book could provide an opportunity for great discussions on morals and facing difficult situations.

The Bitter Side of Sweet This novel, about slavery in cocoa production, tells a very important story. However, the violence is graphic and intense (I found I had to skim some parts), so it is definitely not a book for young children. Parents should read it before possibly considering sharing it with teens.

Food:

Chicken Yassa

Movie:

Kirikou – Back in my days as an au-pair in Paris, the kids were singing the song from this movie and it still rings in my head, “Kirikou n’est pas grand… mais c’est mon ami…” I have not watched the English version of the movie, but I imagine it still has catchy songs. The movie can be watched for free in French through archive.org.

 

La Polynésie française

Books that take place in French Polynesia seem to be hard to find, but hopefully these can provide a starting point. Some of the suggestions here are not specifically about French Polynesia, but Polynesian culture and geography in general. (Please use the links to find out more about the books, food, and movies.) If you are looking for books in French that take place in French Polynesia, we suggest looking for books at Lire en Polynésie .

Picture books:

Animals of Tahiti This book is simply contains photographs and names of animals in Tahiti, but my children said they enjoyed it.

The Swimmers: Paper cut-outs with Matisse  Matisse spent time in Tahiti, and his time there is said to have inspired the vibrant colors and shapes in his cut-outs. This book does not mention his time in Tahiti, but the reader could add in this information. The book gives directions for how to make cut-out art of your own.

The Brilliant Deep  This book is about the corals in Florida, but also about the need to save corals around the world. I am including it here, as there are beautiful corals surrounding Tahiti as well.

Novels:

Call it Courage  A Newberry Award classic. Be aware the story begins sadly with the death of the main character’s mom.

Treasure in Tahiti  This book is out of print, and we have not had the chance to read it, but we mention it as there are not many books about Tahiti available in English.

Food:

Tropical fruit inspired treats

Movie:

Moana or Moana 2  Animated Disney movies that show the island landscape of Polynesia.

 

La République d’Haïti

We found many sweet books about Haiti ! (Please use the links to find out more about the books, food, and movies.)

Non-fiction overview book:

Haiti (Enchantment of the World series by Scholastic)

Picture books:

Tap Tap

My Day with the Panye

Haiti: My Country

Freedom Soup

Novel:

Serafina’s Promise  This book is lovely and inspiring. It is written in the form of a long poem. Despite very difficult conditions, the story is full of faith and hope in the Lord. My girls (6 and 10) wanted me to keep reading it any time it was time to stop reading… “Just one more page, Mom?”

Food:

Soupe Joumou (Freedom Soup)

Movie:

Egalite for All: Toussaint L’ouverture and the Haitian Revolution  This in an informative documentary. I listened to it without watching it, as I can’t handle watching violence.

Ready to travel? You can find our Francophone World Passport in our Etsy shop. It’s an instant download, so you can print as many copies as you need for your family or your classes. Watch the videos below to learn how to assemble and use your passport. If the video images to not load, please use these links:

How to print and assemble the passport

How to use your passport to take an imaginary trip

 

Bon Voyage!

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A Hug from Mary

A Hug from Mary

by | May 29, 2025 | Craft Tutorials

The past few months I’ve been reading Catholic Mom Calm by Sterling Jaquith. In this lovely book, the author suggests many ways to come back to calm in stressful situations, such as breathing, taking a walk, praying, and listening to calming music.

A few weeks ago, I was blessed to learn an additional way to come back to calm: asking for a hug from Mama Mary. In this month of May, a month to celebrate Saint Mary and all moms, I am sharing with you a little reflection on how I came to learn this beautiful way to come back to calm.

A Hug from Mary

I often think that anything good I do in my mothering is by the grace of God and by the beautiful example of Saint Mary and of my own sweet mom. As a child, my mom was always there for me, holding my hand when I did not feel good, listening for hours as I told her about all my concerns, giving me a look of love and compassion.

Last week when my parents happened to be visiting, my little six-year-old had a very rough night. She tends to have difficulty sleeping, and she often wakes up with what could be called night tantrums. She is really asleep, but she is having a temper tantrum, and perhaps a bad dream, at the same time.

As this was going on for quite some time, my dear mom got out of bed and came upstairs to see if she could help. I said she could pray, but that was probably all. We seem to just have to wait this out, and my daughter eventually fully wakes up and calms down.

Of course, my mom was happy to pray, but she also gave me a loving hug and said, “This is hard for you.” I responded, “No, this is hard for her.” That is what I always think, because my daughter is the one going through this terrible night tantrum, and that must be hard. My mom continued to hug me and said again, “This is hard for you.”

And I started to cry. Yes, I guess it is hard for me. Outwardly, I stay pretty calm through these storms, but my mind is actually full of worries. It’s hard to get up multiple times a night and wonder how to face the next day so tired. It’s hard to have your child cry out “Mama! Mama!” but she tells you to get away because she is not really awake and does not realize you are there. It’s hard to try to console your child, but nothing seems to work. It’s hard to worry the rest of your family will be mad that they are woken up by the tantrum too, because you feel like it is your responsibility to calm things down. It’s hard to wait to see the answers to prayer.

Later that night, my daughter calmed down (as she always eventually does). Then, before going back to bed, we cuddled together on the couch. We began to look at a beautiful book my parents had given us. In the book, there is an image of Mary greeting Elizabeth. Mary’s hands are gently on Elizabeth’s shoulders and Mary is giving her a look of love and calm.

Seeing this image of Mary made me think, “Mary is always there for us to give us a hug.” I was blessed that night to have a hug from my own mom in the middle of the night. We moms need hugs from our mom, and acknowledgements that we might not like to admit, “This is hard for you.” Normally, though, our own mom is probably not there in the middle of the night to give us a hug and sweet, reassuring words.

But Mama Mary, the very best mom, is truly always there for us. We can ask her for a hug in hard times, and she will surely give us one, any time of day or night, along with a look of love.

Mama Mary, pray for us!

If bringing calm to your mothering is something you hope for too, Catholic Mom Calm is a wonderful read!

The book my daughter and I looked at that night also brings calm: Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope. This coffee table worthy book is filled with beautiful reflections and art, including Ghirlandaio’s painting, The Visitation.

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May God bless you abundantly today and every day.

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